Outsourcing Human Resource Activities:  Measuring the Hidden Costs and Benefits 
           
           
           
           
                        A DISSERTATION 
              SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL 
                   OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA 
                            BY 
           
           
           
           
                      THOMAS JAMES NORMAN 
           
           
           
           
           
           
                IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS 
                       FOR THE DEGREE OF 
                      DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 
           
           
           
                    Professor Mahmood A. Zaidi, Advisor 
           
           
           
           
                          April 2009 
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
          © Thomas James Norman 2009 
           
           
           
                        Acknowledgements 
           
          This dissertation would not be possible without the responses from the hundreds of 
          managers who took time to speak with me or respond to my survey questions.  While 
          their participation is anonymous, without their cooperation this thesis could not have 
          been written.  
           
          A special debt of gratitude is owed to my thesis committee.  Thanks are owed to the 
          readers— Brian McCall, Alison Davis-Blake and Mahmood Zaidi for their helpful 
          comments on each of the earlier drafts of this thesis.  I would also like to thank and 
          acknowledge the help from other committee members— Avner Ben-Ner, Robert Kudrle 
          and Myles Shaver for their advice and suggestions in the development of this work.  
          Andrew Van de Ven was very helpful in his comments on the paper in his class which 
          evolved into my thesis proposal.  
           
          Professors Theresa Glomb, Connie Wanberg, Rich Arvey, John Budd, John Fossum, 
          Yijiang Wang, Gary McLean, Baiyin Yang, and Stephanie Luis all were very helpful in 
          assisting me to absorb the material needed in undertaking the transition from 
          practitioner to scholar.  Professor Mario Bognanno taught me about arbitration and 
          developing an article based on primary data for publication.  Professors James Scoville 
          and Ross Azevedo were helpful as professors in my master’s experience and were great 
          sources of teaching advice over the past several years.  The Reference Room is one of 
          best resources for a doctoral student thanks to the cheerful service provided by Jennifer 
          Clement and Brenda Carriere.  Susan Suchy’s efforts in helping with the administrative 
          details were also very much appreciated. 
           
          Several students were important in making my time with the Industrial Relations Center 
          more fun and productive- Alex, Amit, Darla, Deva, Erica, Jing, Jonathan, Kristen, 
          Kyoung, Robert, Ruolian, Tae-Youn, Ting, Yin Chun and Zhen. 
           
          Outside of the assistance of my wife, no one deserves more gratitude than my advisor, 
          Mahmood A. Zaidi, for taking note of my application to the masters program in 1996 
          and planting the seed of continuing on to a doctoral degree which culminates with this 
          thesis.  Thanks for the advice, career guidance and the example set by your boundless 
          energy which inspired me to take up this noble vocation.   
           
                            i 
           
                          Dedication 
           
          This thesis is dedicated to my wife, Sherri, who provided me the time and resources 
          needed to complete this work along with the love to make it worthwhile.
                            ii